1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for closing sliding doors or screens, and more particularly to a sliding door closer assembly which may be easily installed on sliding doors or screens to automatically close the sliding doors or screens and the tension or closing force of which is easily adjustable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sliding glass or screen doors are very common in homes around the world. Such doors typically provide access between a den, living area or bedroom in the home and an outdoor patio, yard or balcony. During the spring and summer months, in pleasant weather, the sliding doors or screens may be opened and closed repeatedly throughout the day, particularly if the residents enjoy such outdoor amenities as an outdoor pool, spa, barbecue pit or lawn furniture. Frequently, however, during the course of normal activities the doors or screens are inadvertently left open. This provides abundant opportunities for insects, birds, animals and debris to enter the home. Furthermore, pets or children may wander out of the home through the open doors or screens and may become lost, fall off a balcony or fall into a pool. Moreover, a large volume of cool air on hot days, and warm air on cool days, has a tendency to escape the home through the open doors or screens, thus significantly increasing the expense of electric or heating bills.
A variety of devices are known in the art for ensuring automatic closure of sliding glass doors or screens. U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,372, dated Jan. 25, 1977, to Beard, et al., discloses a xe2x80x9cSliding Door Closer and Method and Apparatus for Installing the Samexe2x80x9d, which includes a coil spring and a cushioning element in combination therewith and is specifically constructed to facilitate attaching the same to a sliding door.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,623, dated Nov. 24, 1981, to Demukai, describes a xe2x80x9cSemiautomatic Sliding Door Device with Tension Springxe2x80x9d, including a sliding door, an outer framework slidably supporting the door for movement between the positions of xe2x80x9copenxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cclosedxe2x80x9d, and a driving device comprising a tension spring energizing the sliding door toward the xe2x80x9cclosedxe2x80x9d position, a connecting wire, and a guide wheel for guiding the wire. The device includes a braking device comprising permanent magnets on the outer framework and a breaking plate made of copper or aluminum sheets on the sliding door.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,642, dated Jul. 19, 1988, to Hahn details a xe2x80x9cSelf-Closing Sliding Door Systemxe2x80x9d, wherein belts, sprockets, cables, pulleys, rods and springs and the like of a showcase, for example, are replaced by one or more constant force springs associated with a spring-retention cavity or other spring retainer. This permits the doors to be easily removed for servicing and for improved access to the interior of the showcase. The parts are simple and easy to replace, few moving parts are involved and the system is applicable both for new construction and for retrofitting to existing cases.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,295, dated Apr. 11, 1989, to Kaftan, describes a xe2x80x9cSliding Screen Closerxe2x80x9d, which can be vertically on the vertical, non-movable frame of a doorway. A tension cord extends inwardly from the door opening to be secured to the inboard end of a sliding screen or door to automatically pull the screen or door across the opening. The closer does not obstruct the opening when the screen or door is in the open position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,249, dated May 20, 1997, to Rebai, Jr., details a xe2x80x9cSliding Screen Door Closing Devicexe2x80x9d, including a housing mountable proximal to a sliding screen door. A retractable cable resiliently extends from the housing and couples with the sliding screen door to effect closing of the door subsequent to opening thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,478, dated Aug. 17, 1999, to Regnier, discloses a xe2x80x9cSliding Door Closing Devicexe2x80x9d, including a housing that attaches to the trailing edge of the sliding door. A tensioned cable extends from a spool in the housing to the door frame. When the sliding door is opened, the cable extends and undergoes an increase in tension. When the door is released, the cable is retracted and undergoes a decrease in tension as it forces the door closed. Cable tensioning is provided by a torsion spring that connects the cable spool to a concentric ratcheted axle. The device permits the user to readily increase or decrease the tension of the cable independently of the amount of cable extended by either ratcheting the axle with respect to the spool or by releasing the ratchet pawl.
Several drawbacks are inherent in many of the prior art door closing assemblies. For example, the assemblies are often complex in structure and operation, rendering them difficult to assemble and install and vulnerable to frequent malfunction. Moreover, the assemblies may be bulky and unsightly to the decor of the home.
Accordingly, there is a need for a sliding door or screen closing assembly which is relatively simple in construction and has relatively few parts; is easy to install and maintain; and is substantially hidden from view.
The present invention is directed to a sliding door closer assembly for automatically closing sliding doors or screens and which is simple in construction, easy to install, substantially hidden from view and the tension or door or screen closing force of which is easy to adjust.
An object of the present invention is to provide a sliding door closer assembly which can be retrofitted to sliding doors or screens of various design.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a door closing assembly that is simple in construction and operation.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a door closing assembly that is easy to install on sliding doors or screens.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a sliding door closer assembly which is reliable in operation and requires little or no maintenance.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sliding door closer assembly which is substantially hidden from view to preserve the aesthetically-pleasing decor of a living room, den, or bedroom in a home.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a sliding door closer assembly which can be cost-effectively manufactured and packaged and can be installed with minimum skill.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sliding door closer assembly which can be easily adjusted to facilitate a desired closing force of a sliding door.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sliding door closer assembly which has relatively few parts for ease in installation and operation.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a sliding door closer assembly is provided which includes an elongated anchor bracket that is attached to a wall section above the trailing edge of a sliding door. One end of a spring is attached to the anchor bracket at a selected point along the length thereof, and the opposite end of the spring is attached to the leading edge of the sliding door. Upon opening the sliding door, the spring is tensioned between the stationary anchor bracket and the advancing edge of the sliding door, and upon release of the sliding door, the tensioned spring pulls the sliding door back into the closed position as the spring returns to the non-tensioned configuration.